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The Broad Brush: Your News in 60 Seconds

The Broad Brush: Your News in 60 Seconds

Michele Ellson

Saturday, Jan 11, 2014

Welcome to this year’s kickoff edition of The Broad Brush, your 60-second news review. Here’s what happened this week.

State Controller John Chiang’s office recently released 2012 pay, pension and health cost data for California’s city and county employees, offering a detailed breakdown of costs by both employee and department. The Alamedan posted some of the key details Chiang offered up on Alameda’s municipal workforce in this graphic.

Officials in Oakland and Alameda are in a fresh battle over the traffic that development being considered in both cities could cause. Meanwhile, Alameda city officials are working to win approvals of planning documents that would put many of the development approvals a builder would need in place by early February.

Homeowners who will move into Alameda Landing will likely pay more than residents in other parts of the city to live in their new neighborhood. On Tuesday night, the City Council approved formation of one of two planned community facilities districts that will tax Landing residents to pay for streets, sidewalks and other necessities a new community requires without taxing the existing community to finance it.

How many kids and seniors live in Alameda, who's driving solo and what's the average age and income? The U.S. Census Bureau’s answers to those questions and more are in this graphic.

Schools leaders are expected to put a bond measure on the November ballot for repair and replacement of Alameda’s aged schools. So how much will you pay if voters approve it, and what will the money pay for? Our Explainer is here.

Governor Jerry Brown may help City Hall attain one of its key legislative objectives this year: Reclaiming the right to use property taxes to help finance the redevelopment of Alameda Point. In a budget plan released Thursday, Brown began backtracking off his 2011 elimination of the state’s redevelopment program by offering to expand the use of existing special districts that allow cities to leverage future property taxes for military base reuse.

In 1994, Donna Milgram founded the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science (IWITTS), the only national organization whose sole mission is to provide educators and employers with the tools they need to encourage women to enter and succeed in careers where they are under-represented. The institute’s solutions include research, professional development, publications, technical assistance, and outreach and marketing products.

News in brief(er): Alameda’s county supervisor is launching a new war on poverty … a local blogger is crusading for the protection of harbor seals that could be impacted if the Water Emergency Transit Authority sets up a maintenance facility at Alameda Point … an Alameda High School football player is heading to Washington State … ground was broken this week on a unique senior housing complex being built on the Oakland side of the Park Street Bridge … and the owner of a company in the running for a cargo inspection facility contract responded to charges that his facility will receive hazardous items.

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